In a battle of the brochures, the American Hotel & Lodging Association has countered moves by organized labor to dissuade meeting planners from using hotels facing labor strife by issuing the brochure "Meeting in the Middle: A Quick Primer for Meeting Planners on Negotiating Convention and Event Contracts." The 16-page brochure discusses topics such as force majeure; threats, strikes and boycotts; and legal terms in regard to damages and cancellation clauses.

“The hotel industry values its partnership with meeting planners and wants to keep them informed about any issues that may affect them or their clients during labor negotiations,” said Joe McInerney, president/CEO of the Washington-based association. “It’s important that meeting planners have all the facts and hear both sides of the story. We believe this new brochure will serve as a valuable resource to help secure fair meeting contracts and plan successful events in hotels.”

In December, labor union Unite Here issued a "Meeting Planner Resource Manual" that the AH&LA says includes "false or misleading statements" in regard to meeting planners' legal rights.

“AH&LA firmly believes that new labor agreements can be reached to continue to provide hotel employees with the job security and benefits they need to maintain a good quality of life and also allows hotels to be competitive and deliver quality service at a reasonable price to our guests,” McInerney said

To download the brochure, click here.

HEADING TO THE HILL

The Broadmoor's Cindy Clark lobbies for hotel labor in Washington.

In related news, AH&LA member Cindy Clark, director of human resources at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., met with President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez in Washington last week to lobby for immigration reform.

"The Broadmoor offers employees competitive wages and benefits, yet we continually face great difficulties in finding enough U.S. workers to fill these positions," Clark said. She estimated that she leaves 100 positions empty during high season, despite turning to H-2B visas for foreign workers.